Plymothian

The book of James tells us that God does not tempt.  The passage today would agree with that.  However, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness.  The Holy Spirit, who works the will of God, takes Jesus to a place where he will eat no food and will meet Satan himself.  God sometimes leads us into situations where he knows that there is deprivation and evil.  He wants to use those situations for his own purposes.

How does the Holy Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil challenge Western Christianity?  Why would God take us into places of potential harm and difficulty?

Luke 4: 1-13

 ¹Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, ²where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

 ³The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

 ⁴Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’^[a]“

 ⁵The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. ⁷So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

 ⁸Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’^[b]“

 ⁹The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. ¹⁰For it is written:
   ” ‘He will command his angels concerning you
      to guard you carefully;
 ¹¹they will lift you up in their hands,
      so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[c]“

 ¹²Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[d]“

 ¹³When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Questions

1. What was Jesus full of when he returned from the Jordan?
2. Who tempted Jesus?
3. Until when did the devil finally leave Jesus?
4. What difficult times has God led you into?
5. How has your reaction to difficult times compared with Jesus?

Going Deeper

Observation

1. What did the devil tell Jesus to do with stones?
2. What did the devil offer to give Jesus?
3. On what condition would Satan give Jesus authority?
4. On which point did Satan have Jesus stand?
5. What is Jesus’ reply to Satan’s third temptation?

Interpretation

1. How is Jesus tempted to respond to his physical needs?
2. What is more important than satisfying physical needs?
3. If Jesus took a shortcut to power, what could he avoid?
4. Why is it wrong to act in such a way that God must show us how he loves us?
5. How can scripture, although it is God’s word, be used for evil?

Application

1. What are your material needs?  How is it tempting to make them your first thought?
2. Do you have a desire for control and order?  How can shortcuts to authority and order lead to rebellion?
3. How do houses, cars, finances, shopping and relationships become preoccupations that lead to no room for God?
4. How have you tried to force God’s hand in showing that he loves you in ways that you dictate?  Have you seen this as a control issue?
5. When are opportune times that keep recurring in your life for the devil to step in and lead you astray?

The Pellow family is my mother’s side of the family.  Mark Pellow has spent ages tracking down members of the family and constructing a family tree.  This year the family had a reunion at Sourton in Devon (pictured above).  In this present age people do not seem to value connections with the past. We have become so immediate and tied to the present that we are not sure where we have come from.  We may be connected to a thousand people through technology, but we are not connected to our roots, traditions and heritage. 

In the Bible passage for todayJesus is shown to be connected with David, Abraham, and Adam.  As the NIV Application Commentary states, “Each connection allows a point to be made about who Jesus is and whom he is qualified to serve.”  The commentary goes on to say that Jesus is therefore the regal heir, the hope of Israel, and the representative for humanity.  Do you acknowledge him as your king, your hope, and your representative?

Luke 3: 23-38

²³Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
      the son of Heli, ²⁴the son of Matthat,
      the son of Levi, the son of Melki,
      the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
    ²⁵the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,
      the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
      the son of Naggai, ²⁶the son of Maath,
      the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,
      the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
    ²⁷the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,
      the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,
      the son of Neri, ²⁸the son of Melki,
      the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
      the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
    ²⁹the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,
      the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,
      the son of Levi, ³⁰the son of Simeon,
      the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,
      the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
    ³¹the son of Melea, the son of Menna,
      the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,
      the son of David, ³²the son of Jesse,
      the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,
      the son of Salmon,^[d] the son of Nahshon,
    ³³the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram,^[e]
      the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,
      the son of Judah, ³⁴the son of Jacob,
      the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,
      the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
    ³⁵the son of Serug, the son of Reu,
      the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,
      the son of Shelah, ³⁶the son of Cainan,
      the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,
      the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
    ³⁷the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
      the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,
      the son of Kenan, ³⁸the son of Enosh,
      the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
      the son of God.

Questions

1. Which characters do you recognize in Jesus’ genealogy?
2. Who is the father of all mankind?
3. What three roles does this genealogy give Jesus the right to fulfill?
4. How do scholars synthesize the genealogy here with the one at the beginning of Matthew?
5. When watching you where would people say your hope and your allegience are?

A journey with Jesus involves a turning around.  The road that we travel by ourselves is a road to nowhere.  jesus is traveling in the opposite direction from humanity.  We must bid the masses adieu and walk a life that is holy.  People prepared for Jesus by listening to John.  John prepared the way by having people identify the things that were holding them back.  They threw these hindrances to one side and then when Jesus called they were ready to follow.  What crowds your time and prevents you from following?

Luke 3: 1-22

 ¹In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— ²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. ³He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
   “A voice of one calling in the desert,
   ‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
      make straight paths for him.
 ⁵Every valley shall be filled in,
      every mountain and hill made low.
   The crooked roads shall become straight,
      the rough ways smooth.
 ⁶And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’ “^[a]

 ⁷John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ⁹The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

 ¹⁰“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

 ¹¹John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”

 ¹²Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

 ¹³“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told

   them. ¹⁴Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
      He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

 ¹⁵The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.^{[b] 16}John answered them all, “I baptize you with^[c] water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ¹⁸And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.

 ¹⁹But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, ²⁰Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

 ²¹When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ²²and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” 

Questions

1. What was the prophecy that John fulfilled?
2. What was John’s message?
3. How did John prepare people for Jesus?
4. What work do you do to prepare people to hear the gospel?
5. What things pull people away from God now that weren’t such a problem in John’s time?

Jesus was not tied to Mary’s apron strings.  In fact Jesus was so far from being tied to his parents at age 12 that Mary and Joseph lost him.  It is important that we do not read the intricacies of modern psychology into a culture that would not have understood it.  However, Jesus is obviously separating from his parents.  He is obedient and respectful of their position but he is his own person.

During early infancy we learn to attach to our parents.  If they meet our needs, we learn to trust them with our emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being.  However, after the first couple of years children learn what is ‘mine’ and that they can say ‘no’, or I will do this ‘on my own’.  This is a threat to most parents.  In the text, Jesus’ independence is a threat to Mary: She seems somewhat exasperated.

However, Jesus is twelve.  He is one year away from Jewish adulthood.  He needs to define himself not by what his parents want, but by what his life is to be defined by.  His life is to be about his Father’s business, in his Father’s house.  He is obedient to his parents, but he knows his own identity.  Do you allow your parents to define you?  Do you control your children without allowing them the freedom to develop into independent adults?

Luke 2: 41-51

⁴¹Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. ⁴²When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. ⁴³After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

 ⁴⁹“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

 ⁵¹Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵²And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Questions

1. What brought Joseph’s family to Jerusalem?
2. How long was it before Jesus’ parents found him?
3. How did Jesus respond to Mary’s deep anxiety?
4. How would you have responded to Jesus reply to his mother?
5. How does parental control and a child’s independence develop?

Going Deeper

Observation

1. How old was Jesus during this trip?
2. What did Jesus do when his parents left Jerusalem?
3. With whom was Jesus talking?
4. What did those who heard Jesus think?
5. What was Mary’s final response to ‘all these things’?

Interpretation

1. At what age did Jewish boys become men?
2. Why did the whole family go when only the men were expected to go?
3. How could Mary and Joseph think that Jesus was with them?
4. Was Jesus placing himself under the Rabbis in the temple?
5. Why does the original language express extremely deep anxiety on the part of Jesus’ parents?

Application

1. From whom have the children you know learned the most?
2. How have the children that you know developed respectful independence?
3. If you were a parent how would you encourage your children to learn in the way that Jesus learned from the Rabbis?
4. Is church sufficient for children to learn a godly approach to faith and education?
5. Check out the writings of Dr. Henry Cloud  http://www.drcloud.com/ As a small group, the Skinner Small Group will be reading Changes That Heal during November. 

I sometimes feel limited by my age.  I was working with the youth group at my church until just over a year ago and I felt too old.  In a world that is run by 18-year-olds, I sometimes feel obsolete.  When technology and science are the saviors of the world, teens are our prophets.  However, as Jacques Ellul says, “In the modern world, the most dangerous form of determinism is the technological phenomenon.”  We are being controlled by mindless technologies, says Ellul.  If he is right, performance is drowning out reflection.  There was a time when wise people said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”  When I stop and think, I stop idolizing youth and I value the wisdom of years.  Those who are old and have reflected on their lives are the most worthy of attention.  In today’s reading two old people reveal who Jesus is as he presented at the temple.  These two old people knew what was really of value.  Do you think that people decrease in value as they age?

Luke 2: 21- 40

²¹On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

 ²²When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[b]), ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[c]

 ²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
 ²⁹“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
      you now dismiss^[d] your servant in peace.
 ³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation,
    ³¹which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
 ³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles
      and for glory to your people Israel.”

 ³³The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

 ³⁶There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. ³⁸Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

 ³⁹When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

Questions

1. Why did Joseph and Mary take Jesus to the temple?
2. Which two people were in the temple?
3. What did Simeon say he had seen?
4. Who do you listen to who is older than yourself?
5. How can God use you to speak into the lives of those who are younger?

Going Deeper

Observation

1. Who was purified according to the Law of Moses?
2. What did the couple offer as a sacrifice?
3. What is the word that Simeon speaks to Jesus’ mother?
4. What kind of people did Anna speak to?
5. What did the child become?

Interpretation

1. Why would Joseph have needed to be purified (Hint:  Think of Joseph’s role at Jesus’ birth)?
2. What does the sacrifice of Joseph and Mary tell you about their finances?
3. How is Jesus’ life story bitter and sweet for Mary?
4. What two ways can Anna’s age be calculated?
5. How is Jesus’ human nature emphasized?

Application

1. What comfort does Jesus bring to those who accept him?
2. How does the Holy Spirit reveal truth about Jesus today?
3. Do you look up to an older person who lives their life for God?
4. How might Anna be an example to those who are single or widows?
5. How are your lifestyle choices marked by The Law of the Lord and also by grace?

Many people rely on a God who is lovely and easily manipulated.  The God of the Old Testament is long suffering.  He overlooks the shortcomings of beings who live in rebellion to himself.  He allows sin to grow without punishing it as it deserves.  There is grace in the Old Testament.  There is also judgement.  The slaughter would be genocide if the recipients were innocent.  However, even those who deliver God’s judgement are worthy of the death they deliver.

It is therefore against the backdrop of much bloodshed that the New Testament arrives.  It is natural that the shepherds would have feared death at the sight of an angel of God.  What they heard was the dawning of a new era.

“Glory to God in the highest,
      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2: 1-20

 ¹In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ²(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³And everyone went to his own town to register.

 ⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

 ⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^[a] the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 ¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 ¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest,
      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

 ¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

 ¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Questions

1. What stories of death and destruction perpetrated by God are you aware of in the Old Testament?
2. What view of righteousness is such death and destruction meant to represent?
3. How does a period of peace and favour contrast with the Old Testament?
4. How do you deal with the kind of death the Bible says that you deserve?
5. What is the appropriate reaction to the announcement of a saviour who will bring peace between Creation and God?

Going Deeper

The pictures above are taken from the Brick Testament.  Many stories from the Bible have been recreated using lego.  The workmanship is impressive.  The verses are faithfully reproduced.  However, the creator of Brick Testament uses words like genocide and massacre to describe God’s actions.  Look over the story of Joshua and Jericho to see what you think:  http://www.thebricktestament.com/joshua/massacre_of_jericho/jos06_01.html  (You need to start on the first picture and then click the arrow to go through the story).  Obviously the creator of Brick Testament is critical of the biblical story.  Why do you think the Old Testament is so hard for people?

If the Bible is one Grand Narrative or Big Story, how does the Old Testament set the scene for the New Testament?  How is Jesus’ arrival the fulfillment of Old Testament teaching?  Where does Luke 2 fall in the Grand Narrative if Revelation is the end of the story?

I will be teaching a class about Worldview at The Chapel starting this week ( http://www.chapel.org/adults/men/ ).  The focus of the study is to identify a series of foundational beliefs that constitute a Worldview and see if we truly believe what the Bible teaches in each area.  I believe that we each have our own story, but that our own stories must be in harmony with the story of the Bible. 

Like Zechariah in today’s reading, some of us have been following the Lord for a long time.  It is easy to lose sight of the story we should be living that lines up with the Bible.  Zechariah was a godly man, but God wanted to realign his views on faith and belief in God’s sufficiency.  God shut him up so that he would pay attention.  However, after John was born Zechariah burst forth in song and sang his story for all to hear.  Even at his old age, his personal story was more in line with what God wanted to say through him.

How does your personal story speak of God?  If you sang about your life, would it be a song that your church could use in worship?

Luke 1: 57-80

⁵⁷When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

 ⁵⁹On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, ⁶⁰but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

 ⁶¹They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

 ⁶²Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” ⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

 ⁶⁷His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
 ⁶⁸“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
      because he has come and has redeemed his people.
 ⁶⁹He has raised up a horn^[d] of salvation for us
      in the house of his servant David
 ⁷⁰(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
 ⁷¹salvation from our enemies
      and from the hand of all who hate us—
 ⁷²to show mercy to our fathers
      and to remember his holy covenant,
 ⁷³the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
 ⁷⁴to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
      and to enable us to serve him without fear
 ⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
 ⁷⁶And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
      for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
 ⁷⁷to give his people the knowledge of salvation
      through the forgiveness of their sins,
 ⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,
      by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
 ⁷⁹to shine on those living in darkness
      and in the shadow of death,
   to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

 ⁸⁰And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Questions

1. What cultural norm do Elizabeth and Zechariah disregard?
2. When Zechariah began to speak what did he do?
3. How did the child grow?
4. How does your story become influenced by cultural norms?
5. In what ways should your story be more of a ‘song’ about God?

Going Deeper

Listen to this song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdsCbRsD-ms 

Read the lyrics:  http://lyrics.wikia.com/Imperative_Reaction:Minus_All  In what ways does the song line up with the story many teenagers believe?  What kind of behavior would people who believe this view of the world exhibit?

 (Warning: the following contains sexual references) Read the lyrics:  http://www.elyrics.net/read/m/marques-houston-lyrics/sex-wit-you-lyrics.html In what ways does the song line up with the story many teenagers believe?  What kind of behavior would people who believe this view of the world exhibit?  How would this singer’s view of sex differ from God’s?

How does this singer’s near perfect life need to be transformed by God?  http://www.elyrics.net/read/s/sanctus-real-lyrics/lead-me-lyrics.html  http://www.myspace.com/sanctusreal/music-player?songid=64935811&artid=3788994&albid=15129382

Mary makes a good deal in the Magnificat of the way God uses the poor.  It is not the spiritual poor, either, but those who have a lack of cash.  Does there have to be an inverse relationship between wealth and God’s mission?  I hear of those in China who have nothing and there seem to be great stories of supernatural events where God’s hand is at work.  I hear that the church is growing rapidly in Africa.  Christians are collecting money and developing schools and teaching the faith alongside reading and writing.  Then we look at the spiritual condition of the West and the very notion of a spiritual realm is not as commonly accepted as it once was. 

However, can a nation that pursues pleasure and leisure survive?  Can a nation that has lost its moral compass produce a youth who can look beyond themselves?  Will God allow greed and irresponsibility to strip the west of its wealth so that poverty will cause people to ask what’s truly important?

Luke 1: 39-56

 ³⁹At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, ⁴⁰where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

 ⁴⁶And Mary said:
   “My soul glorifies the Lord
    ⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 ⁴⁸for he has been mindful
      of the humble state of his servant.
   From now on all generations will call me blessed,
    ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
      holy is his name.
 ⁵⁰His mercy extends to those who fear him,
      from generation to generation.
 ⁵¹He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
      he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
 ⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones
      but has lifted up the humble.
 ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things
      but has sent the rich away empty.
 ⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,
      remembering to be merciful
 ⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants forever,
      even as he said to our fathers.”

 ⁵⁶Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Questions

1. Where did Mary hurry?
2. What happened when Elizabeth met Mary?
3. In what ways has God scattered those who are proud?
4. What do the two women in the passage share?
5. How is a clear vision of what God is doing through the poor and humble a motivator for you?

Going Deeper

Do you agree with Francis Chan that we should be living a more radical life of self-denial and poverty? http://www.christiantoday.com/article/francis.chan.calls.on.christians.to.be.radical.followers.of.christ/25892.htm

Why do you think poverty is growing so rapidly in the United States? http://washingtonindependent.com/98935/poverty-state-by-state

Faith, Politics, Yale, Tony Blair and Poverty Alleviation – How can all of these things come together?  http://academicearth.org/lectures/faiths-and-poverty-alleviation-tony-hall

Mary the future mother of Jesus may have been as young as twelve years old when the angel Gabriel appeared to her.  Yet she bowed in submission to God and allowed him to use her as a vessel for Jesus.  She must have been aware that the risks were overwhelming.  She was a betrothed woman in a conservative culture who was about to become mysteriously pregnant.  She was not powerful, she was not wealthy, she was humble and available.  Her qualities are available to all who would serve God.  Are you humbly aware of your own shortcomings?  Are you available to God?  If so, God will use you.

Luke 1: 26-38

 ²⁶In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

 ²⁹Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. ³¹You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

 ³⁴“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

 ³⁵The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called^[c] the Son of God. ³⁶Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. ³⁷For nothing is impossible with God.”

 ³⁸“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Questions

1. What word describes Mary’s sexual experience?  How is it emphasized?
2. How did Mary react to the angel’s greeting?
3. How did Mary conclude the conversation?
4. Are you troubled by what God might want you to do with your life?
5. How can you be submitted and available to the will of  God?

Going Deeper

Observation

1. To which town in which region was the angel sent?
2. Whose descendent was Joseph?
3. What was God’s disposition toward Mary?
4. What names will Mary’s son be known by?
5. When will Mary’s son’s kingdom end?

Interpretation

1. What does Gabriel mean?
2. Find out the location of the region of Galilee (hint:  it is not just by the lake).
3. Where is Nazareth located?
4. Why is Joseph’s line significant?
5. Why must a person accept mystery if they are to accept this passage?

Application

1. To what extent are you able to accept mystery?
2. What changes might an angel ask you to make with your life?
3. Would you be able to take public disgrace for God’s sake?
4. Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God?  What is Jesus’ relationship and comparison to God the Father?
5. How would you answer a Muslim who says, “There is only one God.  God did not have a wife.  God did not have sex and have a son.  Jesus is a prophet not a god.  The trinity of God, Jesus, and Mary is a blasphemy?”

When Elizabeth was aging and barren my wife and I have an insight into her life.  How could a loving God withhold the simple blessing of a family from a faithful couple like Elizabeth and Zechariah?  It was when they had no hope of a child that they followed God blamelessly.  The news that they were going to have a child even seemed too incredible for Zechariah when he heard it.

Why do my wife and I have insight into this story and those like it in the Bible?  We have not had a biological child.  Bitterness and self-doubt have been all too easy to embrace.  How could God allow crack addicts in Chicago to get pregnant when we came home to an empty house?  How could our busy lives be so empty because we had no hope of a child?  Three miscarriages could seem like three cruel jokes proving that either God didn’t care or that he wasn’t there.

However, we decided to follow God regardless.  We tried to turn away from the debilitating and destructive bitterness that suffering can bring.  We faced God and looked for a new plan.  God’s intervention in the life of our foster son would not have happened through us.  Think how we would have not entered into his world of uncertainty if we had a biological son.  God knew.  We are deeper people for passing through suffering.  God is exposing our weaknesses as he leads us into deeper experiences where joy is harder to come by.  When we see him act, though, like Elizabeth we cry “In these days he has shown his favour.”

Luke 1: 5-25

⁵In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. ⁷But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.

 ⁸Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, ⁹he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

 ¹¹Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. ¹⁴He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.^{[b] 16}Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. ¹⁷And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

 ¹⁸Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

 ¹⁹The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”

 ²¹Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. ²²When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

 ²³When his time of service was completed, he returned home. ²⁴After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Questions

1. Who appeared to Zechariah?
2. What was his message?
3. In what way will Zachariah’s son affect people?
4. How does John the Baptist’s mission show a bigger story?
5. How do you see yourself as playing out a scene in God’s bigger story?

Going Deeper

Observation

1. Who was king at this time?
2. How was Zechariah chosen?
3. How will people react to Elizabeth’s son?
4. Who will fill Elizabeth’s son?
5. Who does Elizabeth say has shown her favour?

Interpretation

1. When can this story be placed historically?
2. How can God be behind a choice made by ‘lots’?
3. Does everyone receive John the Baptist with joy and delight?
4. How will John make people ready?
5. What different feelings do you think Elizabeth felt?  How about Zechariah?

Application

1. Does placing the story historically matter to you?  Why?  Why not?
2. How has God used chance events in your life to show that there was no chance involved at all?
3. How can you prepare people for God’s saving work?
4. How do you feel about God’s work in your life right now?
5. Do you see what God wants to do and what he is doing in your life right now?